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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — a song
  3. shower — rain
  4. saw — the tool
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. track — a path
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chest — a box
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. saw — the tool
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stand — on your feet
  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