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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. band — a ring
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. object — an aim
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lean — thin
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. kick — in football
  12. band — a music group
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. object — a thing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. track — a song
  21. object — to protest
  22. track — to keep track
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. band — a rubber band

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