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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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. safe — a strongbox
  4. cell — in biology
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cell — a phone
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mate — to breed
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — a friend
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — a committee
  14. sharp — clever
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. track — a path
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bear — the animal

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