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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. track — a song
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — a path
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. land — a country
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. land — to come down
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. land — ground

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