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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · content · ruler · track · drill · wind · face · bulb

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wind — moving air
  3. content — the amount
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mug — to rob
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mug — a face
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wind — moving air
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — to confront
  17. mug — a cup
  18. face — part of the head
  19. track — a song
  20. drill — the tool
  21. content — happy
  22. bulb — for light
  23. drill — army training
  24. wind — to turn a key

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