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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bound — certain
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fall — to drop
  15. object — to protest
  16. fall — the season
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bound — obliged
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. craft — boats
  24. fall — to drop

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