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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. firm — decided
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — a path
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. tube — the underground
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ground — a position
  10. tube — a container
  11. firm — steady
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ground — the earth
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ground — crushed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. firm — a company
  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