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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lean — to bend
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. can — a tin
  6. track — a path
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ball — a great time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. track — a song
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kick — in football
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. staff — employees
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lean — thin
  24. staff — employees

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