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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. can — a tin
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. track — a path
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. firm — decided
  11. can — a tin
  12. firm — steady
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mine — for digging
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. track — a song
  23. firm — a company
  24. chair — a leader

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