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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a document
  5. track — a path
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. file — a line of people
  8. track — a song
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. craft — a skill
  14. file — a tool
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. leaves — to go away

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