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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — thin
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. band — a ring
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bore — to drill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. track — a song
  18. band — a music group
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lean — to bend
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. calf — a young animal

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