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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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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: fall · track · mark · firm · ruler · chest · hand · mate

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. track — a path
  3. mark — a grade
  4. track — a song
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. firm — steady
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fall — the season
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. firm — a company
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. track — to keep track
  20. firm — decided
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hand — help
  24. mate — to breed

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