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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. net — for catching
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rest — a break
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. drill — the tool
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — clever
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. net — after costs
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. snap — to click
  22. net — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bulb — for light

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