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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. kid — child
  5. mug — a cup
  6. drill — a practice
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fall — to drop
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rule — a law
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kid — to tease
  15. drill — army training
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mug — a face

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