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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  3. ground — crushed
  4. can — a tin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wound — an injury
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ground — a position
  9. firm — steady
  10. snap — to click
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wound — an injury
  14. firm — decided
  15. can — a tin
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. firm — a company
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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