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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. track — a path
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bowl — a football final

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