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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · ground · track · pass · straw · lie · mug · row

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pass — a permit
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. mug — to rob
  8. row — a line
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. track — a song
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. row — to paddle
  18. track — a path
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. perch — for a bird

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