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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. can — to be able to
  3. saw — the tool
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. net — for catching
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. drill — the tool
  8. net — after costs
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lean — thin
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — in sport
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bulb — for light
  15. last — final
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. can — a tin
  22. last — finally
  23. drill — army training
  24. saw — 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