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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. track — a path
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — thin
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. degree — from a university
  19. kick — in football
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. track — a song
  24. rest — a break

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