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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. land — to come down
  3. object — to protest
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lean — to bend
  7. land — ground
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wound — an injury
  10. track — a song
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. track — a path
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. object — an aim
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rock — music
  19. land — a country
  20. lean — thin
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. object — a thing
  24. wound — an injury

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