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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. last — finally
  3. track — a path
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. last — to go on
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rule — government
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. deal — to handle
  14. track — to keep track
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rule — a law
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. season — of the year
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. last — final

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