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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. vault — a safe
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. land — to come down
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. land — a country
  16. press — to push
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. land — ground
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. spell — letters

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