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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.

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: track · dip · rule · spring · wind · mug · present · lean

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. present — a gift
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lean — thin
  5. present — there
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mug — a face
  8. lean — to bend
  9. track — a song
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wind — moving air
  14. present — the time now
  15. spring — of water
  16. track — a path
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rule — government
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rule — a law
  24. dip — to sink

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