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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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. spell — magic
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. file — a document
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — a short time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rule — government
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rule — a law
  20. spell — letters
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. file — a tool
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cabinet — ministers

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