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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. track — a path
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — a trail
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ground — a position
  10. track — a song
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. track — to keep track
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ground — the earth

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