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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. track — a path
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. squash — the sport
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fork — in a road
  14. track — a song
  15. last — final
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. game — a match
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wound — an injury
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bear — the animal

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