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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tear — from crying
  3. land — a country
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. track — a song
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. land — ground
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. land — to come down
  23. track — a path
  24. chip — to eat

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