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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. track — a path
  3. spell — magic
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fork — in a road
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. track — a song
  9. row — to paddle
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — letters
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bear — the animal
  16. snap — to click
  17. spell — a short time
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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