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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tear — from crying
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cue — for pool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cue — a signal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tube — a container

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