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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 124 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mark — a grade
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. track — a song
  20. kid — to tease
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mate — a friend

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