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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cap — a lid
  4. track — a song
  5. object — an aim
  6. file — a document
  7. track — a path
  8. bear — the animal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. object — to protest
  13. mark — a grade
  14. file — a tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. rash — a series
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cap — of ice

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