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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. row — a line
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. key — for a lock
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fine — high quality
  7. key — the most important part
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fine — all right
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. present — the time now
  24. track — a song

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