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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mug — a cup
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mug — a face
  7. present — there
  8. track — a song
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. clip — a video
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. object — an aim
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. present — a gift
  21. mug — to rob
  22. clip — for paper
  23. present — the time now
  24. coach — a trainer

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