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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mug — a face
  5. track — a path
  6. fall — the season
  7. track — a song
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — shares
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bass — the fish
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — goods
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mug — a cup
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fall — to drop

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