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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — a path
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. squash — to crush
  11. track — to keep track
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. track — a song
  17. roll — a list
  18. squash — the sport

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