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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. season — in sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. season — of the year
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. drill — a practice
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. drill — the tool
  17. current — of water
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. current — happening now
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — a trace
  23. current — electric
  24. bulb — 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