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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. track — a song
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. track — a path
  17. drill — army training
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bass — low music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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