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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. scale — in music
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. shower — to wash
  5. tube — a container
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tube — the underground
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. drill — a practice
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — rain
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mine — an explosive

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