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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pop — music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pop — to visit
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pop — soda
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. drill — the tool
  23. march — the month
  24. drill — army training

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