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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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. firm — steady
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. spell — letters
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. face — to confront
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cue — for pool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. firm — a company
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. firm — decided
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cue — a hint

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