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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cap — of ice
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. suit — in cards
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bore — to tire
  9. plane — a tool
  10. toast — bread
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cap — a hat
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chip — to eat
  17. suit — to fit
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. track — a path
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bore — gave birth

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