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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — army training
  6. bear — the animal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fall — the season
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. scale — in music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bulb — for light

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