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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. season — in sport
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. track — a path
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tube — the underground
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — to keep track
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — a container
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. season — of the year
  24. leaves — of a tree

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