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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mate — a friend
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mate — a partner
  6. root — the cause
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. drill — army training
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rash — a series
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. root — of a word
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — of a plant

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