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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 124 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mug — a cup
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. track — a path
  8. ball — a great time
  9. track — to keep track
  10. current — electric
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mug — a face
  14. current — of water
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. chest — a box
  21. track — a song
  22. chest — of your body
  23. current — happening now
  24. land — ground

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