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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. staff — employees
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. band — a music group
  6. fall — to drop
  7. staff — a stick
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fall — the season
  10. snap — to click
  11. staff — employees
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. track — a path
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. track — a song
  18. mine — for digging
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. track — to keep track

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