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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. snap — to click
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. firm — steady
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. season — in sport
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. firm — decided
  12. season — of the year
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. firm — a company
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. track — to keep track
  19. deal — to handle
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. track — a song
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fan — a supporter

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