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

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. track — a song
  9. rush — hurry
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. drill — the tool
  13. toast — bread
  14. drill — army training
  15. object — to protest
  16. track — to keep track
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. drill — a practice
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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