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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. row — a line
  4. can — a tin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bulb — for light
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. land — a country
  13. scale — in music
  14. land — to come down
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — size or range
  18. squash — the sport
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. row — to paddle
  23. land — ground
  24. lie — to recline

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