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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mug — a face
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. drill — army training
  13. mug — a cup
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chest — a box
  24. coach — a trainer

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