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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mark — a trace
  4. track — a path
  5. object — to protest
  6. cap — a lid
  7. roll — a list
  8. squash — to crush
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mark — a grade
  12. roll — a cake
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. track — to keep track
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cap — a hat
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. track — a song

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