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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mate — a partner
  4. present — the time now
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. present — there
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. track — a song
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — a path
  13. mate — to breed
  14. track — to keep track
  15. spring — the season
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. spring — of water

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