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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. club — a group
  3. tube — a container
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — a song
  8. club — for dancing
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. spell — letters
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — magic
  15. track — a path
  16. club — for golf
  17. track — to keep track
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rest — a break
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. spell — a short time

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