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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. track — a song
  3. file — a line of people
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. key — in music
  7. charge — a price
  8. land — a country
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wind — moving air
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. land — ground
  13. track — a path
  14. file — a tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wind — moving air
  19. key — the most important part
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. charge — electricity
  22. land — to come down
  23. file — a document
  24. charge — in control

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