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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. last — final
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rock — music
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. last — finally
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wave — of the sea

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