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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. staff — employees
  3. track — a song
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. staff — employees
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. bound — obliged
  9. track — a path
  10. rush — hurry
  11. field — a subject
  12. staff — a stick
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. sharp — clever
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. field — farmland

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