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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. drill — a practice
  3. land — to come down
  4. bear — the animal
  5. drill — the tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. land — a country
  8. track — a song
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. drill — army training
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. land — ground
  24. cue — for pool

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