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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. track — to keep track
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. craft — boats
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. track — a path
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mark — a trace
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. kid — child
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. track — a song
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mark — a grade

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