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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bat — the animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. rest — a break
  9. charge — in control
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — to protest
  13. track — a path
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. charge — electricity
  20. track — a song
  21. rest — what's left
  22. can — to be able to
  23. charge — a price
  24. can — a tin

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