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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. drill — army training
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. drill — a practice
  11. track — a song
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. track — to keep track
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. drill — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — a trace
  24. track — a path

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