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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. firm — decided
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. firm — steady
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. track — a song
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fall — the season
  15. track — to keep track
  16. band — a music group
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fall — to drop
  19. firm — a company
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fall — to drop
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mouse — the animal

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