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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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. track — a song
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. current — electric
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — for digging
  9. firm — steady
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. tube — a container
  12. branch — a division
  13. current — happening now
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fine — all right
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — of water
  22. firm — decided
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. firm — a company

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