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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. squash — the sport
  3. track — a path
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. squash — to crush
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. kid — child
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — to tease
  20. suit — clothes
  21. staff — employees
  22. suit — in cards
  23. track — to keep track
  24. staff — employees

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