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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — a short time
  4. club — for golf
  5. craft — a skill
  6. track — a song
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. spell — magic
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. spell — letters
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rule — a law
  16. club — a group
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rule — government
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. craft — boats
  23. rest — what's left
  24. prune — to trim

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