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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — to breed
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mate — a friend
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. net — in sport
  8. swing — to play on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. net — for catching
  13. track — a path
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — a partner
  17. track — a song
  18. net — after costs
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. land — ground
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — to keep track
  24. land — a country

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