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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. track — a song
  7. kid — to tease
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bulb — for light
  15. track — a path
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. kid — child
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. shower — rain
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. shower — to wash

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