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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mine — for digging
  4. spring — the season
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cue — for pool
  7. shower — to wash
  8. track — a path
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — a song
  17. cue — a signal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. shower — rain
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. spring — of water
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cue — a hint

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