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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fall — to drop
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. track — a song
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fall — the season
  10. mug — a cup
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fall — to drop
  16. squash — to crush
  17. content — the amount
  18. mug — a face
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. squash — the sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — happy
  24. squash — the vegetable

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