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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cell — in biology
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pitch — completely
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. track — a path
  14. rest — what's left
  15. track — a song
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rest — a break
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wake — before a funeral

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