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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. track — a path
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. present — the time now
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — a gift
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. staff — a stick
  19. track — a song
  20. court — of law
  21. present — there
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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