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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. track — a path
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wake — a trail
  5. last — to go on
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. last — final
  13. object — a thing
  14. cue — a signal
  15. last — finally
  16. object — an aim
  17. track — to keep track
  18. object — to protest
  19. track — a song
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. scale — in music

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