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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. vault — a safe
  5. track — to keep track
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — a path
  9. key — in music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. march — the month
  12. key — for a lock
  13. march — music
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. march — the month
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a song
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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