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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 124 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chest — a box
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fine — all right
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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