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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rock — a stone
  3. track — a path
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rock — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rash — a series
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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