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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. tear — from crying
  11. drill — army training
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bound — obliged
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bound — certain
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bound — tied together
  24. tear — to rip

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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