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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ground — crushed
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. ground — the earth
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ground — a position
  24. track — a path

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