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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. kid — child
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bear — the animal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. swing — in golf
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. perch — the fish
  19. swing — to play on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kid — to tease
  23. track — to keep track
  24. swing — music

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