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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. present — a gift
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. track — a path
  5. land — a country
  6. charge — in control
  7. land — ground
  8. charge — electricity
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. present — the time now
  11. club — for dancing
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. present — there
  16. charge — a price
  17. club — for golf
  18. land — to come down
  19. club — a group
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. track — a song
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. snap — to click

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