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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. track — to keep track
  3. kid — child
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. kick — in football
  6. track — a song
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. field — a subject
  10. pop — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pop — soda
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. field — for sport
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. track — a path
  22. kid — to tease
  23. field — farmland
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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