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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 120 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: face · bulb · straw · lean · mouse · rush · track · stand

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. rush — to hurry
  3. stand — to bear
  4. track — a song
  5. lean — thin
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. lean — to bend
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. face — to confront
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bulb — for light
  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