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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. track — to keep track
  3. net — for catching
  4. track — a song
  5. firm — a company
  6. drill — the tool
  7. net — in sport
  8. drill — army training
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. firm — decided
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. date — the fruit
  16. net — after costs
  17. firm — steady
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. track — a path
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fall — to drop
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. drill — a practice
  24. date — on the calendar

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