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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. track — a path
  3. rush — hurry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. craft — a skill
  9. branch — a division
  10. wake — a trail
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. degree — temperature
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. degree — an amount
  21. craft — boats
  22. track — a song
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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