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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. object — an aim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. object — a thing
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kid — child
  18. march — the month
  19. object — to protest
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. march — the month

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