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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kick — in football
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. field — farmland
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. track — a song

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