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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. track — a song
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — a grade
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. swing — to play on
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. track — to keep track
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. swing — music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hand — help
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. prune — to trim
  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