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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. kick — in football
  6. roll — a cake
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — after costs
  10. track — a song
  11. roll — a list
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. track — a path
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. toast — bread
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. net — for catching
  21. wake — a trail
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. net — in sport
  24. roll — on a roll

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