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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · track · lean · bulb · clip · pitcher · root · mouse

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. clip — to cut
  6. track — a path
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lean — thin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. root — of a word
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — the cause
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. root — of a plant
  19. clip — a video
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. track — a song
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — to bend
  24. clip — for paper

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