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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. firm — a company
  5. can — a tin
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. firm — steady
  15. game — wild animals
  16. can — to be able to
  17. game — a match
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. firm — decided
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bay — a horse colour

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