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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. track — a path
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. dip — to sink
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bass — low music
  6. current — happening now
  7. bound — certain
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bass — the fish
  14. current — electric
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wake — a trail
  17. kick — in football
  18. current — of water
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. track — a song
  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