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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. hand — in cards
  4. firm — a company
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. firm — decided
  8. ground — a position
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. hand — help
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spell — magic
  17. lie — to recline
  18. firm — steady
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ground — crushed
  21. scale — in music
  22. spell — letters
  23. ground — the earth
  24. spell — a short time

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