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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. lean — to bend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. swing — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. track — a song
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. swing — to play on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mark — a trace
  24. arm — part of the body

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