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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chest — of your body
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. club — for golf
  14. track — a path
  15. rush — hurry
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. track — a song
  19. club — a group
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. club — for dancing
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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