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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — a thing
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. object — an aim
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. clip — a video
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. object — to protest
  24. saw — the tool

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