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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bear — the animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. field — a subject
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — farmland
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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