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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. spell — letters
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. drill — army training
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — magic
  9. rest — a break
  10. stem — to come from
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. spring — the season
  17. toast — bread
  18. spring — a coil
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — of water
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rest — what's left

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