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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. land — to come down
  3. track — a path
  4. present — a gift
  5. track — to keep track
  6. land — ground
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — a song
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. land — a country
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — the time now
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wound — an injury
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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