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

Word bank: cell · bear · rock · track · tear · cap · calf · net

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rock — a stone
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. net — for catching
  7. bear — the animal
  8. track — a path
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cell — a phone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. net — after costs
  14. track — a song
  15. cap — a lid
  16. net — in sport
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. tear — to rip

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