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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. snap — to click
  4. perch — the fish
  5. present — the time now
  6. kick — in football
  7. wake — a trail
  8. field — farmland
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. field — a subject
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. field — for sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. present — a gift
  18. track — a path
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. present — there
  23. track — to keep track
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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