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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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. track — a song
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. shower — to wash
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. shower — rain
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cue — a signal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. track — a path
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. coach — a trainer

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