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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. band — a ring
  5. lean — thin
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. track — a song
  17. spell — letters
  18. band — a music group
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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