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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rash — hasty
  3. object — a thing
  4. capital — a city
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. land — ground
  7. snap — to click
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rash — a series
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — in football
  12. track — a song
  13. land — a country
  14. object — an aim
  15. suit — to fit
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. land — to come down
  22. object — to protest
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. capital — money

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