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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. roll — a list
  4. pit — a hole
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pop — music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. squash — the sport
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pop — to visit
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pop — soda
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. track — a song
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. track — to keep track
  24. squash — to crush

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