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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. scale — in music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rock — a stone
  7. drill — army training
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. scale — size or range
  15. deal — to handle
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rock — music

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