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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fine — all right
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cap — a lid
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. track — a path
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. kid — child
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rush — hurry

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