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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 116 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hand — help
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mug — a face
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rash — a series
  9. suit — in cards
  10. squash — the sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. mug — a cup
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. staff — employees
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mug — to rob
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a path
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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