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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. face — to confront
  4. game — wild animals
  5. last — to go on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tear — to rip
  9. game — a match
  10. last — finally
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. track — a song
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lean — to bend
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lean — thin
  19. face — part of the head
  20. track — a path
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. last — final
  24. tear — from crying

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