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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fork — in a road
  9. kid — to tease
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bore — to drill
  18. track — a path
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kid — child
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bore — to tire
  24. calf — of the leg

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