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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. charge — in control
  5. capital — money
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a face
  13. object — an aim
  14. charge — a price
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. capital — a city
  18. mug — a cup
  19. prune — to trim
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. object — to protest
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. mug — to rob

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