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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. club — a group
  3. bulb — for light
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. object — an aim
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. key — in music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. object — a thing
  13. bulb — for light
  14. object — to protest
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. club — for dancing
  17. track — a song
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. stem — to come from
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. club — for golf
  24. bay — a horse colour

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