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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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. arm — a part of something
  3. band — a music group
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. band — a ring
  10. hand — help
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. hand — in cards
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. row — a line
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. arm — part of the body

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