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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. track — a song
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. race — humankind
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. race — the arms race
  15. court — of law
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — for sport
  20. race — a contest
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. court — of a king

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