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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — in sport
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rule — government
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bulb — for light
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. season — of the year
  15. pound — a weight
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a song
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rule — a law
  24. hand — in cards

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