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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: leaves · march · sharp · track · snap · cell · calf · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. track — a song
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. sharp — clever
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. march — the month
  19. row — a line
  20. cell — a phone
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. snap — to click
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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