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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. track — to keep track
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. file — a tool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. face — to confront
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. track — a song
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. file — a document
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. face — part of the head
  23. track — a path
  24. mark — a grade

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