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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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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: track · lie · mine · sharp · field · straw · bore · toast

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. sharp — clever
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bore — to drill
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. track — a path
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. field — farmland
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. field — a subject
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. field — for sport
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. track — a song
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bore — to tire

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