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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bulb — for light
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mug — a face
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spring — the season
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — of water
  23. rest — a break
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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