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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. land — ground
  4. pop — to visit
  5. drill — army training
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pit — in a race
  10. land — to come down
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pop — music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pop — soda
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. land — a country

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