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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. swing — in golf
  7. track — a path
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. firm — decided
  10. tear — to rip
  11. track — to keep track
  12. tear — from crying
  13. track — a song
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cap — a lid
  16. firm — steady
  17. rule — a law
  18. cap — of ice
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rule — government
  24. firm — a company

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