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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: bay · stick · calf · roll · ground · wind · coach · straw

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ground — a position
  14. wind — moving air
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. calf — a young animal

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