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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. chest — of your body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. track — a path
  6. lean — to bend
  7. track — to keep track
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. chest — a box
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. roll — a cake
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — bread
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lean — thin
  23. roll — a list
  24. track — a song

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