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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. track — to keep track
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wound — an injury
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. track — a song
  15. stem — to come from
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. toast — bread
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bore — to drill

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