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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. last — finally
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. drill — army training
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bulb — for light
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. last — to go on
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. last — final
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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