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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — a practice
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — to sink
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — army training
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bulb — for light
  15. drill — the tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bulb — of a plant

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