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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bound — tied together
  3. tube — a container
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. craft — boats
  7. tube — the underground
  8. track — a song
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bound — certain
  12. pop — music
  13. lie — to recline
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pop — soda
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — obliged
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rash — a series

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