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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: rash · rest · calf · kid · bay · game · trunk · wake

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rash — a series
  6. game — a match
  7. rest — a break
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. kid — child
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rest — what's left

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