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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: dip · calf · bay · straw · wind · bore · snap · scale

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bore — to tire
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. scale — size or range
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. scale — in music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. snap — to click
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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