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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. craft — a skill
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. charge — in control
  9. band — a music group
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. snap — to click
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. craft — boats
  16. track — a path
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pit — in a race
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. charge — a price
  21. pit — a hole
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. band — a ring
  24. charge — electricity

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