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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. track — to keep track
  4. spring — the season
  5. track — a song
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rest — a break
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — a coil
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fall — to drop
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fall — the season
  17. track — a path
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fall — to drop
  21. spring — of water
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rest — what's left

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