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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: toast · track · rush · bear · march · tear · calf · sharp

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. track — to keep track
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. track — a path
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. tear — from crying
  10. march — the month
  11. rush — hurry
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. toast — bread
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. track — a song
  23. march — the month
  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