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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. track — a song
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — a path
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fall — to drop
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bound — certain
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fall — the season
  24. wave — of the sea

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