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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — to play on
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. swing — music
  13. mug — to rob
  14. track — a path
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. land — a country
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lie — to recline
  24. track — a song

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