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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · track · saw · wound · rash · present · mug · straw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. rash — hasty
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — to keep track
  8. staff — employees
  9. rash — a series
  10. mug — a face
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. staff — a stick
  15. saw — the tool
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. track — a song
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mug — a cup
  24. track — a path

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