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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spring — of water
  3. track — a path
  4. fine — all right
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spring — the season
  7. track — a song
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bound — obliged
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mate — a partner
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mate — a friend

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