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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bulb — for light
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. suit — in cards
  5. drill — the tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bulb — for light
  11. drill — a practice
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. net — after costs
  17. row — to paddle
  18. drill — army training
  19. suit — clothes
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. net — in sport
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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