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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fine — all right
  8. tear — to rip
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. net — after costs
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rush — hurry
  20. tear — from crying
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cue — for pool

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