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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rock — music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. drill — army training
  21. rock — a stone
  22. last — final
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bulb — for light

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