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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hand — help
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. drill — army training
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — finally
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chest — a box
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — in cards
  20. craft — a skill
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — boats
  24. fan — a supporter

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