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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 120 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. field — a subject
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. field — for sport
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. last — final
  8. rock — music
  9. track — a path
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. last — finally
  13. track — to keep track
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — a song
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. hand — help

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