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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rock — music
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rock — a stone
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. net — after costs
  13. tube — a container
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kick — in football
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. net — for catching
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. net — in sport

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