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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pit — a hole
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. hand — help
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bulb — for light
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pit — in a race
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. hand — in cards

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