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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. drill — army training
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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