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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. track — a song
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. craft — boats
  5. track — to keep track
  6. object — to protest
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. last — final
  11. bulb — for light
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. last — finally
  16. object — a thing
  17. track — a path
  18. squash — the sport
  19. last — to go on
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. object — an aim
  23. dip — to sink
  24. craft — a skill

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