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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — in control
  10. rule — a law
  11. track — a song
  12. rule — government
  13. snap — to click
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cell — in biology
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mug — a face
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. charge — a price
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mug — to rob

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