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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 116 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. file — a document
  3. mug — a cup
  4. file — a tool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mug — a face
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. branch — a division
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bore — to tire
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pass — a permit
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitch — a sports field

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