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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. present — the time now
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. last — finally
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. present — a gift
  16. last — to go on
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lie — to recline
  21. row — a line
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. last — final
  24. present — there

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