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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · key · track · chest · rash · leaves · clip · cap

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cap — a lid
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cap — a hat
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cap — of ice
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. clip — for paper
  12. key — in music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. key — the most important part
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rash — hasty

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