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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · jam · track · wake · rock · date · wound · lie

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. track — a song
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rest — a break
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rock — music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rock — a stone
  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