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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bulb — for light
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. track — a path
  16. snap — to click
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. track — a song
  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