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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. file — a document
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. file — a tool
  7. track — a song
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. file — a line of people
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. track — to keep track
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. row — a line
  23. season — in sport
  24. row — a quarrel

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