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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ball — a dance
  6. drill — army training
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chair — a leader
  19. drill — a practice
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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