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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. face — to confront
  6. ball — a dance
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. track — a song
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. dip — to sink
  16. kid — child
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. face — to point toward
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — a path
  24. coach — a trainer

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