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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. clip — for paper
  6. game — a match
  7. track — a path
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — a song
  11. clip — a video
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stand — to bear
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rush — to hurry

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