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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. hand — in cards
  4. track — a song
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — finally
  9. hand — help
  10. track — a path
  11. rule — a law
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lie — to recline
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. last — to go on
  17. track — to keep track
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. last — final
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rule — government
  24. lie — an untruth

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