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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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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 · bay · wake · arm · chair · bore · lie · field

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. field — farmland
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. field — a subject
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bore — to drill
  17. field — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. chair — to sit on

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