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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. object — to protest
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. track — to keep track
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. object — an aim
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. object — a thing
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. track — a path
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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