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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. track — a path
  12. land — ground
  13. face — to confront
  14. track — to keep track
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mate — a friend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bulb — of a plant

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