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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fall — to drop
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mark — a grade
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stock — goods
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. track — a path
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stock — shares
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. track — a song
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fall — the season
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cell — in biology

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