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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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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: fine · hide · track · cap · hand · clip · tube · rock

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. hand — help
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rock — music
  7. clip — a video
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. clip — for paper
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rock — a stone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. clip — to cut
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fine — high quality

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