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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spell — magic
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. drill — army training
  22. ball — a dance
  23. spell — letters
  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