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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 120 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — a path
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — in control
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. charge — a price
  9. track — to keep track
  10. spell — magic
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. spell — a short time
  16. track — a song
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spell — letters
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. leaves — to go away

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