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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. lean — thin
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. snap — to click
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stand — on your feet

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