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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pop — music
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wax — to grow
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rash — hasty
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pop — soda
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rash — a series
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pop — to visit
  23. track — a song
  24. deal — an agreement

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