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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. season — of the year
  3. cue — a hint
  4. season — in sport
  5. present — a gift
  6. key — for a lock
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cue — for pool
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. track — a song
  16. key — the most important part
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. key — in music
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. track — a path
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. present — there

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