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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pop — to visit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. board — a committee
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pop — soda
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. board — to get on
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pop — music

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