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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. track — to keep track
  3. suit — in cards
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bound — certain
  6. track — a path
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. face — to confront
  9. deal — to handle
  10. face — part of the head
  11. track — a song
  12. face — to point toward
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. suit — clothes
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together

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