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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. track — a path
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rock — music
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. track — a song
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. track — to keep track
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chest — a box
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rest — what's left

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