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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cap — of ice
  3. track — a path
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. dip — to sink
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spell — letters
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. craft — boats
  14. cap — a lid
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. drill — the tool
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. drill — army training
  20. cap — a hat
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mate — a friend
  24. dip — to dunk

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