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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: lie · land · track · roll · suit · straw · stick · shower

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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 — a song
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. shower — rain
  10. roll — a cake
  11. land — a country
  12. shower — to wash
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. land — to come down
  16. lie — to recline
  17. track — to keep track
  18. suit — to fit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. land — ground
  21. suit — in cards
  22. roll — a list
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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