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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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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: lie · lean · bound · race · calf · rock · track · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. rock — a stone
  5. track — to keep track
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lean — thin
  8. track — a path
  9. race — a contest
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. track — a song
  12. rock — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bound — tied together
  21. race — humankind
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wake — a trail

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