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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. spell — letters
  4. bulb — for light
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. drill — army training
  10. spell — a short time
  11. object — to protest
  12. ball — a dance
  13. club — for golf
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — a practice
  18. spell — magic
  19. object — a thing
  20. club — a group
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. object — an aim
  24. club — for dancing

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