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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — a gift
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lean — thin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lean — to bend
  21. present — there
  22. track — a song
  23. present — the time now
  24. track — to keep track

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