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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. spell — letters
  4. spring — of water
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — a coil
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. track — a path
  13. spell — magic
  14. spring — the season
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spell — a short time
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. hide — animal skin

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