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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 116 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. club — a group
  3. shower — rain
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. track — a path
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bass — low music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lean — thin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. shower — to wash
  19. race — a contest
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a song
  24. race — humankind

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