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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pit — in a race
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. track — a path
  13. tube — a container
  14. saw — the tool
  15. scale — in music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pit — a hole
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a song
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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