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

Word bank: bulb · dip · track · mouse · trunk · leaves · wake · firm

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. dip — to sink
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. track — a path
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. firm — a company
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. firm — steady
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. track — a song
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. firm — decided
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — to keep track

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