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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: bulb · mate · nail · foot · drill · track · row · hide

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. track — a path
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. track — a song
  8. drill — army training
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mate — a friend
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mate — to breed
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. row — a line
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  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