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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bank — for money
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bank — of a river
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — a practice
  12. hand — in cards
  13. saw — the tool
  14. kick — in football
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. drill — the tool
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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