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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: tube · calf · toast · mate · perch · lash · season · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — a partner
  6. tube — a container
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mate — a friend
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. toast — bread
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mate — to breed
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. tube — the underground
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. perch — the fish

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