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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tube — a container
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — the underground
  12. spell — letters
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. drill — army training
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — a match
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lash — an eyelash

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