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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. shower — to wash
  3. track — a song
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stand — to bear
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. kick — in football
  13. lean — to bend
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rule — a law
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. track — a path
  19. lean — thin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. shower — rain
  23. rule — government
  24. nail — for a hammer

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