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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — a song
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cold — not warm
  6. rock — music
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. track — a path
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ground — crushed
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ground — a position

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