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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. race — humankind
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. track — a song
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. race — a contest
  12. track — to keep track
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. object — a thing
  16. rash — a series
  17. cue — a signal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cap — a lid
  20. object — an aim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. object — to protest
  23. cue — a hint
  24. race — the arms race

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