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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. track — to keep track
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — a song
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. track — a path
  11. kick — in football
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — a stone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rock — music

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