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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. track — to keep track
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. hand — help
  8. cue — a signal
  9. track — a song
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. track — a path
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rash — a series
  17. rock — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cue — for pool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rash — hasty

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