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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stand — to bear
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pass — a permit
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. spring — of water
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. track — a song
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. branch — a division
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. dip — to dunk

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