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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. spell — letters
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. drill — the tool
  14. key — in music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — music
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. file — a document
  22. drill — army training
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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