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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 124 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. track — a song
  3. foot — a measure
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. march — the month
  9. bore — to tire
  10. season — in sport
  11. rock — music
  12. chest — a box
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. track — to keep track
  17. march — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rock — a stone
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. march — the month
  24. chest — of your body

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