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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bulb — for light
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — the month
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fork — in a road
  19. march — music
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wake — a trail

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