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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. track — a path
  3. tear — to rip
  4. season — of the year
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stock — goods
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — in football
  17. season — in sport
  18. track — a song
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stock — shares
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stock — a soup base

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