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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. spell — magic
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mark — a grade
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. drill — army training
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wind — moving air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. spell — letters

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