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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · last · shower · can · hide · tube · arm · toast

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. tube — the underground
  3. track — to keep track
  4. last — to go on
  5. track — a path
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. last — finally
  9. track — a song
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. tube — a container
  15. toast — bread
  16. can — a tin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. can — to be able to
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — a tin

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