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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. track — a song
  7. spring — the season
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rest — a break
  13. track — a path
  14. bulb — for light
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mate — a partner
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. spring — of water
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spring — a coil

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