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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. drill — army training
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hand — help
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. object — a thing
  13. cap — of ice
  14. object — an aim
  15. tube — a container
  16. object — to protest
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mine — for digging
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mine — belonging to me

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