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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bulb — for light
  4. present — a gift
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bound — certain
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mark — a grade
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bound — obliged
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — low music
  17. present — there
  18. bulb — for light
  19. drill — army training
  20. bass — the fish
  21. present — the time now
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mark — a trace
  24. snap — to click

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