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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. track — a path
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. charge — a price
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. charge — in control
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. charge — electricity
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spring — the season
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. squash — the sport
  23. spring — of water
  24. nail — for a hammer

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