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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · chest · lie · staff · can · calf · shower · saw

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. saw — the tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. shower — rain
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chest — a box
  16. staff — a stick
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chest — of your body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. can — a tin
  23. staff — employees
  24. can — to be able to

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