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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ball — a great time
  10. track — to keep track
  11. season — in sport
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. squash — to crush
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ball — a dance
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — to wash
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. season — of the year
  24. squash — the sport

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