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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tear — from crying
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. current — happening now
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. firm — a company
  7. shower — to wash
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. track — a song
  11. present — there
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. track — a path
  16. firm — decided
  17. shower — rain
  18. current — of water
  19. tear — to rip
  20. current — electric
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. tear — from crying
  23. squash — the sport
  24. firm — steady

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