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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. band — a music group
  3. track — a path
  4. mate — a partner
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. band — a ring
  7. track — a song
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. track — to keep track
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lie — to recline
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. row — a line

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