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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: game · calf · bay · row · hide · stick · deal · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. row — a line
  9. rest — what's left
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. game — a match
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. row — to paddle

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