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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bound — obliged
  5. track — a song
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. field — a subject
  9. mug — a face
  10. charge — a price
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bound — certain
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. perch — the fish
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — farmland
  20. bound — tied together
  21. charge — in control
  22. mug — to rob
  23. field — for sport
  24. mug — a cup

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