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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. track — a song
  5. mug — a face
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mug — to rob
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. sharp — clever
  13. swing — music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. track — a path

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