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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. spell — a short time
  3. staff — employees
  4. track — a song
  5. spell — letters
  6. lean — to bend
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. board — to get on
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rush — hurry
  14. board — a committee
  15. bear — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — magic
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. track — a path
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lean — thin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bear — to put up with

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