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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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468
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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 the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fall — to drop
  5. track — a path
  6. staff — a stick
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. court — of law
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fall — the season
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. track — a song
  21. staff — employees
  22. track — to keep track
  23. staff — employees
  24. fall — to drop

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