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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 116 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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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: last · ground · calf · lean · bay · bore · can · land

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lean — thin
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. last — final
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. land — to come down
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ground — a position
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. land — ground
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. can — a tin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ground — the earth
  19. can — a tin
  20. land — a country
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. last — to go on
  24. ground — crushed

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