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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — to keep track
  4. drill — a practice
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. shower — to wash
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chip — for betting
  12. track — a song
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. shower — rain
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chip — to eat

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