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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fine — all right
  3. track — a path
  4. mate — a friend
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. chest — of your body
  13. track — a song
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fork — in a road
  16. object — a thing
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bat — the animal
  20. object — an aim
  21. fine — high quality
  22. object — to protest
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fine — a penalty

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