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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. track — a path
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. track — a song
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fall — the season
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mate — to breed

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