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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — the tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bulb — for light
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — a weight
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lean — thin
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. drill — army training
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lean — to bend

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