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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. file — a line of people
  9. ground — crushed
  10. track — a path
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. file — a tool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ground — a position
  20. fall — the season
  21. file — a document
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fall — to drop
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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