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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. tear — from crying
  5. kick — in football
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mate — a friend
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stock — shares
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tube — a container
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — a song
  19. stock — goods
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mate — to breed
  24. kick — a thrill

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