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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — a hint
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. craft — boats
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cue — for pool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. cue — a signal
  19. land — ground
  20. track — to keep track
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — to go away

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