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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. march — music
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. march — the month
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — a song
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mine — for digging
  18. drill — army training
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. march — the month
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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