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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mate — a partner
  4. track — a song
  5. kick — in football
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. drill — army training
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fine — all right
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. track — a path
  16. tube — a container
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. drill — the tool
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fine — high quality
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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