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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. prune — to trim
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kick — in football
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. track — a song
  9. dip — to sink
  10. land — a country
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. land — to come down
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mug — a face
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. land — ground
  21. tube — a container
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. track — a path

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