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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. dip — to sink
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. snap — to click
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com