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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: bark · bay · fan · chest · calf · jam · cue · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. sharp — clever
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chest — a box
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bark — of a tree

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