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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. bore — to drill
  4. suit — clothes
  5. capital — money
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bore — to tire
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cell — a phone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. suit — to fit
  20. capital — a city
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. track — a path
  24. nail — on a finger

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