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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 my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. can — to be able to
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. can — a tin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. spell — a short time
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. file — a line of people
  15. snap — to click
  16. file — a tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. file — a document
  20. can — a tin
  21. spell — magic
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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