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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fall — to drop
  3. drill — the tool
  4. present — there
  5. drill — a practice
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fall — the season
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. drill — army training
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. present — the time now
  24. pound — for dogs

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