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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. snap — to click
  3. drill — a practice
  4. field — farmland
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — a song
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bank — for money
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. field — for sport
  16. track — a path
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. field — a subject

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