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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mug — a face
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. track — a song
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mug — a cup
  19. spring — of water
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spring — the season
  22. track — a path
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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