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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stock — shares
  10. fall — to drop
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. band — a music group
  14. mug — a cup
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stock — goods
  20. mug — a face
  21. pit — a hole
  22. band — a ring
  23. mug — to rob
  24. calf — of the leg

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