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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. last — final
  17. march — the month
  18. bore — to drill
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. last — to go on
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. calf — of the leg

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