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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. band — a music group
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. track — a song
  6. suit — in cards
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. suit — clothes
  16. track — to keep track
  17. suit — to fit
  18. toast — bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. snap — to click
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mouse — the animal

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