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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. march — the month
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. suit — to fit
  8. season — in sport
  9. march — music
  10. row — a line
  11. march — the month
  12. lean — thin
  13. row — to paddle
  14. can — a tin
  15. fall — the season
  16. track — to keep track
  17. suit — in cards
  18. track — a song
  19. fall — to drop
  20. suit — clothes
  21. season — of the year
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fall — to drop

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