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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rest — a break
  3. file — a line of people
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. charge — electricity
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. charge — a price
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. track — to keep track
  14. charge — in control
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. file — a document
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. track — a path
  23. rest — what's left
  24. calf — a young animal

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