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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. track — to keep track
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. track — a path
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. track — a song
  21. kick — in football
  22. wind — moving air
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stand — for spectators

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