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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. kid — to tease
  4. track — a song
  5. season — of the year
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. track — a path
  15. cold — an illness
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spell — letters
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — magic
  22. kid — child
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cold — not warm

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