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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. track — a path
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — a song
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. firm — decided
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cold — not warm
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. firm — a company
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rush — hurry
  15. firm — steady
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. track — to keep track
  20. staff — employees
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cold — an illness
  24. staff — employees

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