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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: ruler · tear · deal · lie · racket · track · mouse · straw

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. track — a song
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tear — to rip
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. tear — from crying
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. track — a path
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lie — an untruth

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