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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: mug · saw · lie · kid · toast · track · calf · present

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. track — a path
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. present — the time now
  6. toast — bread
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mug — a cup
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kid — child
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mug — a face
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. track — a song
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. track — to keep track
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — the tool

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