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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. track — a path
  9. cue — a signal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bound — obliged
  15. track — a song
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cue — a hint
  18. snap — to click
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bound — certain
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spring — of water

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