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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 · mouse · lean · hand · object · chest · sharp · track

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. track — a path
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. object — an aim
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. object — a thing
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chest — a box
  13. hand — help
  14. track — a song
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. track — to keep track
  20. object — to protest
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — thin
  24. mouse — for a computer

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