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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 124 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. last — finally
  4. cap — of ice
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rock — music
  8. last — to go on
  9. cap — a hat
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. prune — to trim
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. last — final
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cap — a lid

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