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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — a line
  3. drill — army training
  4. bulb — for light
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. row — to paddle
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. drill — the tool
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. spell — letters
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lean — to bend
  22. roll — a list
  23. net — in sport
  24. drill — a practice

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