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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fork — in a road
  4. content — the amount
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rash — a series
  7. track — a song
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mate — a friend
  16. track — a path
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. content — happy
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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