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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. spell — a short time
  4. band — a ring
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. track — a path
  7. bulb — for light
  8. band — a music group
  9. bulb — for light
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. degree — temperature
  13. track — a song
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spell — magic
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spell — letters
  21. degree — from a university
  22. track — to keep track
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hide — to keep secret

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