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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tear — from crying
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tear — from crying
  9. present — the time now
  10. bound — certain
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. tear — to rip
  17. drill — army training
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. present — there
  20. ball — a dance
  21. drill — the tool
  22. present — a gift
  23. bound — tied together
  24. drill — a practice

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