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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 124 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fall — the season
  3. track — a song
  4. kid — child
  5. fall — to drop
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fine — high quality
  18. track — a path
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fine — all right
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. track — to keep track

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