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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. present — there
  4. wind — moving air
  5. firm — decided
  6. rest — a break
  7. track — to keep track
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. can — a tin
  12. firm — a company
  13. present — the time now
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — low music
  16. lean — thin
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. present — a gift
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wind — moving air
  22. firm — steady
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lean — to bend

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