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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. spell — a short time
  3. last — to go on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spell — letters
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bore — to drill
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. spell — magic
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. can — a tin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. can — a tin
  17. track — a path
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bore — to tire
  20. last — finally
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. last — final
  23. track — a song
  24. hide — to keep secret

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