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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. track — a path
  4. craft — a skill
  5. track — to keep track
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. current — electric
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. kick — in football
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rest — a break
  16. current — of water
  17. rest — what's left
  18. craft — boats
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. chair — a leader
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. current — happening now
  24. rest — what's left

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