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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rock — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — army training
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. can — a tin

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