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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. track — a song
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. dip — to sink
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. snap — to click
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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