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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 124 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wind — moving air
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cold — not warm
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. wind — moving air
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. charge — a price
  18. cold — an illness
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cold — the Cold War

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