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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. track — a song
  6. rule — government
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pound — a weight
  20. track — a path
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rule — a law

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