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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. track — a song
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bass — low music
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rash — a series
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. squash — the sport
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bass — the fish
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. squash — the vegetable

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