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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. track — a path
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. charge — in control
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bound — obliged
  9. charge — a price
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bound — tied together
  12. last — final
  13. bound — certain
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — a song
  18. last — to go on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rush — hurry
  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