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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. spring — the season
  3. track — a path
  4. bound — tied together
  5. drill — army training
  6. mug — a face
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — the tool
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mug — a cup
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — of water
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bulb — for light
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bound — certain
  22. mug — to rob
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stem — a stem cell

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