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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. band — a music group
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. object — a thing
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. track — a path
  14. object — to protest
  15. kid — child
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. band — a ring
  19. object — an aim
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. track — a song
  24. kid — to tease

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