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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. dip — to sink
  12. drill — army training
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bore — to drill
  23. drill — a practice
  24. dip — a sauce

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