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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. track — a song
  3. pit — a hole
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cold — not warm
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. rule — government
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rule — a law
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mark — a grade
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. track — a path
  24. calf — a young 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