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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. face — part of the head
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. spell — letters
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. spell — magic
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. chair — a leader
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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