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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. land — to come down
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. track — to keep track
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. land — a country
  12. track — a path
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. land — ground
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stand — on your feet

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