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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: track · hide · stick · toast · can · season · land · kid

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. can — a tin
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. land — ground
  6. can — a tin
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. toast — bread
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. track — a path
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — a country
  16. track — a song
  17. kid — child
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. kid — to tease
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. land — to come down
  24. toast — the most admired

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