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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. track — a song
  15. tear — to rip
  16. file — a tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ruler — a monarch

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