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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · mark · fall · fan · calf · track · march · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. track — a song
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. track — a path
  19. fall — the season
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — a trace
  22. track — to keep track
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fan — a supporter

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