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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. suit — in cards
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lie — to recline
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. track — a path
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. field — a subject
  23. saw — the tool
  24. track — a song

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