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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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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. track — to keep track
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cue — a signal
  6. object — a thing
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. track — a path
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bulb — for light
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. kid — to tease
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. kid — child
  21. cue — a hint
  22. track — a song
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bulb — for light

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