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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. clip — to cut
  3. present — the time now
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. present — there
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lean — thin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. clip — for paper
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. drill — army training
  19. lean — to bend
  20. clip — a video
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — a gift
  23. bulb — for light
  24. drill — the tool

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