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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. shower — rain
  3. drill — the tool
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. saw — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. foot — a measure
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. drill — army training
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. shower — to wash
  21. branch — a division
  22. charge — in control
  23. bulb — for light
  24. foot — part of the body

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