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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mug — to rob
  15. clip — to cut
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mug — a face
  20. mine — for digging
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mug — a cup
  24. clip — a video

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