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

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. track — a path
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chair — a leader
  9. tear — from crying
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lie — to recline
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. track — a song
  17. club — a group
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tear — to rip
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chair — a professorship

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