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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. board — a committee
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mark — a trace
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. board — to get on
  13. track — to keep track
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rule — government
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. track — a path
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rule — a law

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