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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 120 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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mug — to rob
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ball — a great time
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cold — an illness
  13. hand — help
  14. swing — music
  15. hand — in cards
  16. drill — army training
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mark — a grade
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cold — not warm
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mug — a face

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