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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. roll — a cake
  7. track — to keep track
  8. row — a line
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. track — a path
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bass — low music
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — the fish
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wake — a trail
  21. track — a song
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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