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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. track — a path
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rash — a series
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. track — a song
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. tube — a container
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wake — a trail
  24. temple — a place of worship

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