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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. kid — child
  11. pit — a hole
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. kid — to tease
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. game — wild animals
  19. toast — bread
  20. date — the fruit
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. game — a match
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. date — on the calendar

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