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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 120 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: lie · mug · calf · bay · perch · kick · cold · racket

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cold — an illness
  7. mug — a cup
  8. kick — in football
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lie — to recline
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cold — not warm
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mug — to rob
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mug — a face

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