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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mine — for digging
  4. track — a song
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. track — a path
  13. march — the month
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. march — music
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. track — to keep track

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