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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. court — of law
  4. bound — certain
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. roll — a cake
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bound — tied together
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lean — to bend
  11. roll — a list
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lean — thin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. court — for sport
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. court — of a king
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. roll — on a roll

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