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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rock — music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wound — an injury
  6. track — a path
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rock — a stone
  9. craft — a skill
  10. track — to keep track
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — a trace
  17. track — a song
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. craft — boats

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