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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: ruler · jam · track · snap · land · rest · bay · kid

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rest — what's left
  3. track — to keep track
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. track — a song
  6. kid — to tease
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. track — a path
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. snap — to click
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. kid — child
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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