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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bound — tied together
  3. track — a song
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pop — soda
  10. bound — certain
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mug — a cup
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pop — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. track — a path
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. coach — a trainer

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