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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rock — music
  4. season — in sport
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. track — a song
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — a tin
  9. land — to come down
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. hand — in cards
  12. track — a path
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. season — of the year
  20. hand — help
  21. land — a country
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. can — a tin
  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