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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bulb — for light
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. can — a tin
  10. bat — the animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. degree — temperature
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. plane — a tool
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. can — a tin

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