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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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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 · fan · mark · bay · clip · coach · wake · pitcher

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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 — to pay attention
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. clip — a video
  7. mark — a trace
  8. clip — for paper
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a grade
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. clip — to cut
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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