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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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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. row — a line
  4. lie — to recline
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stock — goods
  7. track — a path
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pit — a hole
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. stock — shares
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pit — in a race
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. track — a song

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