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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. firm — a company
  3. lie — to recline
  4. drill — the tool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. firm — steady
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. press — to push
  22. snap — to click
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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