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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bulb — for light
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. foot — a measure
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. branch — a division
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. row — a line
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. track — to keep track

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