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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rush — hurry
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cold — not warm
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. track — a song
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. staff — employees
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — for digging

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