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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. march — the month
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. track — a path
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. charge — in control
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. march — the month
  12. charge — electricity
  13. key — the most important part
  14. track — to keep track
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fine — high quality
  18. charge — a price
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. track — a song
  21. key — for a lock
  22. march — music
  23. key — in music
  24. snap — to click

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