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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: stick · straw · calf · bay · game · spell · mark · current

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spell — a short time
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spell — magic
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. current — electric
  20. game — a match
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mark — a grade
  24. game — wild animals

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