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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lean — to bend
  3. track — to keep track
  4. charge — a price
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — thin
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — in control
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. track — a path

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