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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 124 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. track — a path
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. track — a song
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wind — moving air

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