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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. race — a contest
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. race — humankind
  10. snap — to click
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — a tin
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. race — the arms race
  17. track — a song
  18. chest — a box
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wake — a trail
  22. track — to keep track
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. can — a tin

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