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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. firm — steady
  6. shower — rain
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. firm — decided
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fine — all right
  22. swing — in golf
  23. calf — a young animal
  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