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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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. track — to keep track
  3. face — to point toward
  4. field — a subject
  5. cue — a signal
  6. field — farmland
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. field — for sport
  10. track — a path
  11. face — to confront
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cue — for pool
  17. track — a song
  18. wind — moving air
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. tube — a container
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — part of the head
  24. tube — the underground

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