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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 116 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. drill — army training
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fork — in a road
  18. sharp — clever
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bass — low music
  21. drill — the tool
  22. shower — rain
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lie — an untruth

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