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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. chest — a box
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wake — a trail
  7. face — to confront
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rest — what's left
  10. track — a song
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. chest — of your body
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rest — a break
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — clothes
  24. face — to point toward

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