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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fork — in a road
  4. track — to keep track
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. suit — to fit
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. track — a song
  9. band — a music group
  10. track — a path
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. scale — in music
  15. band — a ring
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. suit — clothes
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. dip — to sink

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