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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — a song
  5. spring — of water
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. object — to protest
  14. stand — to bear
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. object — an aim
  22. spring — the season
  23. fine — all right
  24. spring — a coil

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