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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. track — to keep track
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rash — a series
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. track — a path
  14. key — in music
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — music
  21. track — a song
  22. file — a line of people
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wave — with your hand

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