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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. squash — to crush
  7. track — to keep track
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. dip — to sink
  10. current — electric
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. current — happening now
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. hand — help
  15. chair — a leader
  16. current — of water
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fall — to drop

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