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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. suit — to fit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stand — to bear
  11. roll — a list
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. track — to keep track
  14. roll — a cake
  15. track — a song
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. capital — a city
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. capital — money
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. temple — side of the head

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