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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. track — a song
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — thin
  10. board — to get on
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wind — moving air
  14. deal — to handle
  15. spring — of water
  16. board — a committee
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spring — the season
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. track — a path
  24. board — a flat piece

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