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

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. squash — the sport
  3. track — a song
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mark — a grade
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. object — an aim
  9. rash — a series
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. object — to protest
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bound — certain
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. date — the fruit
  16. object — a thing
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bound — tied together
  19. squash — to crush
  20. track — a path
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mark — a trace
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. 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