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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. drill — army training
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bore — to tire
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rule — government
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — after costs
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rule — a law
  16. bore — to drill
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bulb — of a plant

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