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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. spell — a short time
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. drill — the tool
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. plane — a tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — magic
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. spell — letters
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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