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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.

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 · rest · mark · calf · bound · track · mug · snap

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mug — a face
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. rest — a break
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bound — certain
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. track — a path
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mug — a cup
  24. track — to keep track

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