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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. track — a path
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fine — high quality
  7. suit — to fit
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fine — all right
  16. track — a song
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. roll — a list
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rash — a series
  24. wind — to turn a key

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