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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · calf · track · hide · wake · bear · mouse · rule

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rule — government
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — a song
  11. cell — in biology
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. track — a path
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rule — a law
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bear — the animal

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