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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 124 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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. content — happy
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lean — to bend
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. object — an aim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. track — a path
  20. saw — the tool
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. track — a song
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lean — thin

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