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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — a song
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. land — a country
  10. race — a contest
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rule — a law
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. land — to come down
  16. season — in sport
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rule — government
  20. season — of the year
  21. land — ground
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — a path
  24. race — humankind

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