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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: wound · track · firm · rest · rule · leaves · suit · mark

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rest — what's left
  5. firm — decided
  6. suit — clothes
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rest — a break
  11. mark — a trace
  12. track — a song
  13. rule — a law
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — a grade
  17. track — a path
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rule — government
  21. suit — to fit
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. firm — steady
  24. rule — to rule out

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