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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fall — to drop
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fall — the season
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. saw — the tool
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. snap — to click

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