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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a song
  4. suit — to fit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. track — a path
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fine — all right
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. calf — of the leg

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