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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. current — electric
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tube — the underground
  5. track — a song
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lean — thin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mine — for digging
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — of water
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. current — happening now
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. tube — a container
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. deal — to handle

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