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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. drill — army training
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. band — a music group
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. board — a committee
  10. spell — magic
  11. bore — to drill
  12. board — to get on
  13. cell — a phone
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. drill — a practice
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bore — to tire
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mouse — the animal

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