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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. charge — electricity
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lean — thin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. track — a path
  17. hand — in cards
  18. charge — in control
  19. bulb — for light
  20. track — to keep track
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. charge — a price
  23. hand — help
  24. lean — to bend

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