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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. suit — in cards
  3. capital — a city
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. capital — money
  6. chest — of your body
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bank — for money
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kid — to tease
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bank — for money
  17. chest — a box
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. kid — child
  23. track — a song
  24. stand — on your feet

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