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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lie — to recline
  4. prune — to trim
  5. track — to keep track
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. club — for golf
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. track — a song
  12. board — a committee
  13. club — a group
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. shower — to wash
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — for dancing
  21. shower — rain
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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