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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: hide · bank · ground · deal · bay · toast · calf · fork

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ground — a position
  8. bank — for money
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ground — the earth
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. ground — crushed
  18. toast — bread
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bank — of a river
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. calf — a young animal

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