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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. sharp — clever
  6. track — a path
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. drill — a practice
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wake — a trail
  16. track — a song
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. drill — army training
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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