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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 124 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bulb — for light
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. can — a tin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. can — a tin
  23. bass — low music
  24. can — to be able to

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