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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. scale — size or range
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spring — of water
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bulb — for light
  11. drill — the tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. scale — in music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spring — the season
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. hand — help
  19. mark — a trace
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chair — a leader

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