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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. firm — a company
  3. object — to protest
  4. current — happening now
  5. face — to point toward
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — decided
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. object — an aim
  11. current — of water
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. object — a thing
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cell — a phone
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. current — electric
  19. firm — steady
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cell — in biology
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — a path
  24. cell — in a prison

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