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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. track — a path
  8. rush — hurry
  9. firm — a company
  10. band — a ring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a music group
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. firm — decided
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wake — a trail
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. firm — steady
  20. clip — to cut
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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