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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. snap — to click
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — a practice
  6. tube — a container
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tube — the underground
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bound — certain
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bound — obliged

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