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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. track — a path
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. perch — the fish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. track — a song
  19. mate — a partner
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hide — animal skin

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