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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. firm — a company
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. tube — a container
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. saw — the tool
  21. track — a song
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rash — a series
  24. saw — the tool

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