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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kick — in football
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — help
  7. staff — employees
  8. spell — a short time
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. drill — army training
  14. spell — magic
  15. drill — a practice
  16. spell — letters
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ball — a great time
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. spring — of water
  24. ball — a round shape

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