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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. track — to keep track
  6. staff — employees
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — a measure
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. staff — employees
  13. snap — to click
  14. shower — rain
  15. mate — to breed
  16. shower — to wash
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mate — a partner
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mate — a friend
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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