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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. track — a path
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. chip — for betting
  9. staff — employees
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fall — the season
  15. wax — to grow
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. staff — employees
  22. stand — to bear
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. jam — in traffic

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