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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · lie · bay · toast · bear · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. kid — child
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. toast — bread
  18. lie — an untruth

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