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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cold — an illness
  6. track — to keep track
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cold — not warm
  11. track — a path
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lie — to recline
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mate — a friend
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. roll — a list
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. track — a song
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. mate — a partner

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