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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ground — the earth
  3. track — to keep track
  4. suit — clothes
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — low music
  8. track — a path
  9. band — a ring
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. tear — to rip
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. track — a song
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. suit — to fit
  18. band — a music group
  19. cold — an illness
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bass — the fish
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bass — the instrument
  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