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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. track — a path
  11. bank — for money
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. race — a contest
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. track — a song
  18. drill — army training
  19. bank — of a river
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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