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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. firm — decided
  4. cold — not warm
  5. ball — a great time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rock — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rock — a stone
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cold — an illness
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. firm — steady
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rule — a law
  22. track — a path
  23. rule — government
  24. firm — a company

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