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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 · rock · pop · clip · face · bear · pass · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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. rock — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bear — the animal
  8. clip — to cut
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pop — music
  13. face — to confront
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. clip — a video
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rock — a stone
  24. calf — of the leg

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