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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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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: nail · race · deal · cell · bulb · present · track · leaves

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. race — the arms race
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. race — a contest
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. race — humankind
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a song
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cell — a phone
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — a gift
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. present — the time now
  21. cell — in biology
  22. track — a path
  23. present — there
  24. leaves — lets stay

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