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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lean — to bend
  3. march — the month
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — army training
  6. bulb — for light
  7. drill — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. file — a tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mate — a partner
  14. file — a document
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mate — to breed
  17. march — music
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lean — thin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mate — a friend
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bass — the instrument

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