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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. drill — army training
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spell — letters
  14. chest — a box
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. spell — magic
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. vault — a safe

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