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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: fan · chair · wave · lie · hide · calf · content · bay

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. content — happy
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. content — the amount
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. chair — a leader
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wave — with your hand

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