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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.

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: game · last · snap · foot · track · bulb · lean · arm

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. last — to go on
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lean — thin
  11. snap — to click
  12. last — finally
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. last — final
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. game — a match
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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