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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: ruler · cell · game · bank · last · track · bulb · snap

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. game — a match
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bulb — for light
  6. snap — to click
  7. game — wild animals
  8. track — a path
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — a song
  15. bank — for money
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. last — final
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — finally
  24. cell — a phone

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