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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. track — a path
  3. mug — a cup
  4. track — a song
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spring — the season
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wound — an injury
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. spring — of water
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mug — to rob
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mug — a face
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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