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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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. current — electric
  4. track — a song
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bear — the animal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wind — moving air
  16. firm — a company
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — of water
  20. firm — decided
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. firm — steady
  23. bear — the animal
  24. current — happening now

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