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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 116 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — a position
  4. object — to protest
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. track — a song
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. lie — to recline
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. object — a thing
  15. ground — the earth
  16. track — a path
  17. ground — crushed
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. object — an aim
  23. hand — help
  24. lie — an untruth

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