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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lean — thin
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. track — a song
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. branch — a division
  10. track — a path
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tube — a container
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lean — to bend
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chair — a professorship

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