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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. present — a gift
  3. track — a song
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mug — to rob
  8. present — there
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. face — to confront
  11. mug — a face
  12. present — the time now
  13. snap — to click
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. bound — tied together
  17. current — happening now
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bound — certain
  20. face — to point toward
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bound — obliged

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