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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. track — a song
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rash — a series
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. track — a path
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bank — for money
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bank — of a river
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. face — to confront
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bank — for money
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cell — a phone

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