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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. drill — a practice
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bass — low music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. squash — to crush
  13. snap — to click
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. drill — the tool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fall — the season
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. drill — army training
  23. bass — the fish
  24. leaves — lets stay

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