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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — a path
  4. present — a gift
  5. lean — to bend
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — music
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rock — a stone
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lean — thin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. present — the time now
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. track — a song
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — there
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ruler — for measuring

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