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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
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: calf · toast · ball · bay · row · ground · rash · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rash — a series
  4. spring — the season
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ground — the earth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rash — hasty
  12. row — a line
  13. ground — a position
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. toast — bread
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ground — crushed
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. spring — of water
  21. ball — a dance
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. row — a quarrel

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