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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. track — to keep track
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. track — a song
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. board — to get on
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — certain
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — a path
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. board — a committee
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bound — tied together
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — a trail

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