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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. track — a path
  4. face — part of the head
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. capital — a city
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. firm — decided
  9. capital — money
  10. track — to keep track
  11. spell — letters
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spell — a short time
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. face — to point toward
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. face — to confront
  21. spell — magic
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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