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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitch — completely
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mate — to breed
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. season — of the year
  13. track — a path
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. season — in sport
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mate — a friend

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