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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. toast — bread
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lean — thin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. drill — a practice
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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