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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cap — a lid
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. track — a path
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cap — of ice
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lash — to lash out

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