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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 124 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. charge — electricity
  5. track — a song
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — rain
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fork — in a road
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. roll — a cake
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. roll — a list
  15. charge — a price
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. swing — music
  18. track — to keep track
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fork — a garden tool

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