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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. object — a thing
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. track — to keep track
  7. object — an aim
  8. track — a song
  9. rock — music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rock — a stone
  13. object — to protest
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bark — to shout
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. foot — part of the body

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