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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. track — a song
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. track — a path
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. roll — a list
  14. mine — for digging
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. club — for dancing
  17. roll — a cake
  18. club — a group
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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