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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. row — to paddle
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. can — to be able to
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. plane — a tool
  8. band — a ring
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. can — a tin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cap — of ice
  15. hand — help
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. row — a line
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. band — a music group

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