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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. firm — a company
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mate — to breed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mate — a partner
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. track — a path
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. firm — decided
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mate — a friend
  21. firm — steady
  22. track — to keep track
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. calf — a young animal

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