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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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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: calf · bound · dip · staff · bay · tear · spring · jam

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spring — the season
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. tear — from crying
  10. staff — employees
  11. bound — certain
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. tear — to rip
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. staff — employees
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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