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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chest — of your body
  8. club — for golf
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chest — a box
  11. march — the month
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. march — music
  18. club — for dancing
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ball — a dance
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. club — a group
  24. hide — to keep secret

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