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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. object — a thing
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wound — an injury
  12. object — to protest
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. race — a contest
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wound — an injury
  18. press — to push
  19. race — the arms race
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. race — humankind
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. object — an aim
  24. safe — a strongbox

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