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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. game — a match
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mug — a face
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mug — to rob
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. game — wild animals
  19. vault — a safe
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. snap — to click
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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