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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. track — a path
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — the earth
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. track — to keep track
  13. present — the time now
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. present — a gift
  17. ground — a position
  18. can — a tin
  19. toast — bread
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. present — there
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. can — a tin

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