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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mug — a cup
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. capital — money
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mate — a friend
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mark — a trace
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. capital — a city
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fall — the season

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