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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. track — to keep track
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mate — a partner
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. track — a path
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mate — to breed
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. drill — army training
  24. prune — to trim

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