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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. object — an aim
  3. season — in sport
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pit — a hole
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. lie — to recline
  17. track — a song
  18. object — to protest
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wind — moving air
  21. object — a thing
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mate — a partner

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