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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 very handy with a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. ground — the earth
  9. spring — of water
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — crushed
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. spring — the season
  18. ground — a position
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. drill — a practice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. drill — army training

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