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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · calf · straw · object · bay · rash · stem · last

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. object — an aim
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. drill — army training
  5. last — final
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. object — to protest
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stem — to come from
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. drill — the tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rash — hasty

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