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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. track — a song
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spell — a short time
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — a lid
  7. track — a path
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. key — in music
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — letters
  15. foot — a measure
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a great time
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. track — to keep track
  20. key — for a lock
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. spell — magic

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