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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. face — part of the head
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. track — a song
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. degree — temperature
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. degree — from a university
  11. face — to point toward
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. chip — for betting
  18. face — to confront
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rock — music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. track — a path
  24. wake — before a funeral

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