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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. object — a thing
  5. land — a country
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. charge — in control
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. land — to come down
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. land — ground
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. track — to keep track
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. charge — a price
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — a path
  24. charge — electricity

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