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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lean — to bend
  5. track — a path
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fine — all right
  10. lean — thin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. last — to go on
  13. track — a song
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. last — finally
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. track — to keep track
  23. last — final
  24. hide — to keep secret

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