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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. file — a line of people
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a tool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. file — a document
  8. tube — a container
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. track — to keep track
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. staff — employees
  16. march — music
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. march — the month
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. track — a song
  23. march — the month
  24. staff — employees

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