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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cue — a hint
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. cue — for pool
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. land — ground
  15. spring — a coil
  16. track — a song
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cue — a signal
  23. land — a country
  24. temple — side of the head

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