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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. drill — army training
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pop — to visit
  9. field — a subject
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pop — music
  20. field — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. field — farmland
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pop — soda

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