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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bark — to shout
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. track — a path
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. track — a song
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fall — the season
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rock — music

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