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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rule — a law
  3. cold — an illness
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lean — thin
  6. cold — not warm
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. club — a group
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. track — a path
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. track — a song
  18. club — for golf
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rule — government
  21. club — for dancing
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. lean — to bend

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