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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. spell — letters
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. track — a song
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. kid — child
  9. object — an aim
  10. tear — from crying
  11. track — a path
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wake — a trail
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tear — from crying
  20. object — a thing
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. object — to protest
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. hide — to keep secret

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