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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. track — a song
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. firm — decided
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. track — to keep track
  8. craft — a skill
  9. firm — a company
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bulb — for light
  12. drill — army training
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. track — a path
  15. shower — rain
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cell — a phone
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. shower — to wash
  21. firm — steady
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. craft — boats

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