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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — of law
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tear — from crying
  24. band — a music group

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