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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. firm — steady
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitch — completely
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. track — a path
  10. firm — a company
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rock — music
  20. firm — decided
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. snap — to click

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