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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. deal — to handle
  6. track — a song
  7. cap — a lid
  8. track — a path
  9. spell — magic
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cap — a hat
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. spell — letters
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. track — to keep track

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