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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mate — a friend
  5. craft — boats
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cap — of ice
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. drill — army training
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bass — low music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. drill — a practice

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