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

Word bank: straw · track · firm · lean · present · wake · saw · coach

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. firm — a company
  3. track — a song
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lean — thin
  8. firm — decided
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. present — the time now
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. present — there
  15. wake — a trail
  16. track — a path
  17. firm — steady
  18. saw — the tool
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. present — a gift
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lean — to bend

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