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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: calf · rest · bear · bay · toast · land · file · mouse

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. file — a tool
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. land — to come down
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. toast — bread
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. land — ground
  16. file — a document
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. land — a country

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