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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lean — thin
  4. track — a song
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. staff — employees
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. staff — a stick
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — a series
  24. bay — a horse colour

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