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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. staff — employees
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — a path
  11. chest — a box
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. track — a song
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. row — a line
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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