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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chip — for betting
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. file — a line of people
  11. club — for golf
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chip — to eat
  17. club — for dancing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — a group
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. dip — to dunk

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