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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. field — for sport
  7. bass — low music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. field — farmland
  10. drill — army training
  11. field — a subject
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rest — a break
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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