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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. spring — of water
  3. track — a song
  4. field — farmland
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. can — a tin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. track — to keep track
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — a coil
  12. field — for sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — a subject
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ball — a great time
  20. track — a path
  21. spring — the season
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. safe — out of danger

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