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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bulb — for light
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rest — a break
  11. drill — army training
  12. toast — bread
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — for light
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. drill — the tool

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