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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cap — a hat
  3. track — a path
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rash — a series
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bulb — for light
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cap — of ice
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rash — hasty
  18. spring — of water
  19. track — a song
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spring — the season
  24. rash — on the skin

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