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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. track — a path
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cell — a phone
  5. track — to keep track
  6. kick — in football
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rash — hasty
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rash — a series
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. track — a song
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a hole

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