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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: pass · calf · bay · snap · row · temple · straw · drill

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. snap — to click
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pass — a permit
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — a practice
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. row — a line
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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