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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. track — a song
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. season — in sport
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pop — soda
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. season — of the year
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bound — certain
  13. pop — to visit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — a gift
  17. pop — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — a path
  23. present — the time now
  24. calf — a young animal

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