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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 116 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. rest — a break
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. drill — a practice
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. drill — army training
  14. wound — an injury
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — a cup
  18. root — of a word
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — the cause
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wound — an injury
  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