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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 124 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tube — a container
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lie — an untruth

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