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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — to recline
  5. drill — army training
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. bound — obliged
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bound — certain
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. drill — a practice

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