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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mug — a cup
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bark — to shout
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. shower — rain
  20. mug — to rob
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mug — a face
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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