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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. track — a path
  3. bound — obliged
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — a song
  7. lean — thin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bound — certain
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bound — tied together
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pop — music
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lean — to bend

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