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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. present — a gift
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bulb — for light
  11. key — in music
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bulb — for light
  14. drill — army training
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ruler — a monarch

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