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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fall — the season
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. track — a song
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cell — in biology
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. foot — a measure
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fall — to drop
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. track — a path
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cell — a phone

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