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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: leaves · track · deal · fall · rule · mark · lie · hand

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. hand — in cards
  3. track — a path
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mark — a grade
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fall — to drop
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fall — the season
  17. track — a song
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hand — help

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