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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — a path
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. march — music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. march — the month
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rock — music
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. hand — help

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