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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. foot — a measure
  3. object — an aim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — for light
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. drill — army training
  14. mug — a face
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. drill — the tool
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mug — a cup
  21. degree — from a university
  22. object — a thing
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mug — to rob

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