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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: bay · season · rock · hand · calf · key · nail · bowl

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. hand — help
  4. rock — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. season — in sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. key — in music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rock — a stone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. season — of the year
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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