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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. track — to keep track
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. can — a tin
  7. track — a path
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. last — finally
  11. lean — thin
  12. row — a line
  13. tube — a container
  14. band — a music group
  15. last — final
  16. last — to go on
  17. deal — to handle
  18. tube — the underground
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. track — a song
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. band — a ring
  24. lean — to bend

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