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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lie — to recline
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pass — a permit
  11. track — a path
  12. rule — government
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rule — a law
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lie — an untruth

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