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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. club — for golf
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. club — a group
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. file — a document
  11. shower — rain
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. shower — to wash
  19. file — a line of people
  20. track — a song
  21. file — a tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  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