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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rest — a break
  7. track — a path
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. object — an aim
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. race — a contest
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. race — humankind
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. track — a song
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. race — the arms race
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. object — to protest
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. hide — to keep secret

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