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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. track — a song
  4. present — a gift
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fall — the season
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. track — a path
  14. bound — certain
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bound — tied together
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bound — obliged

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