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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. last — finally
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. spring — of water
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. spring — the season
  14. pass — a permit
  15. last — final
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. last — to go on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — a song
  22. spring — a coil
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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