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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. squash — to crush
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — farmland
  5. squash — the sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rest — what's left
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. field — for sport
  13. track — a song
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. track — to keep track
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — a path
  21. object — a thing
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. field — a subject
  24. can — to be able to

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