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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 · fall · racket · mug · chest · hide · pound · squash

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mug — a face
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. track — a song
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chest — of your body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. squash — to crush
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fall — the season
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pound — a weight
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chest — a box
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. track — a path
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mug — a cup

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