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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. spell — letters
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. mark — a trace
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. track — a path
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. spell — magic
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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