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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — to go on
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. last — finally
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. last — final
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bank — of a river
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. track — a path
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. tube — the underground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bank — for money

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