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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · staff · bulb · object · chest · can · mouse · spring

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. chest — of your body
  4. can — to be able to
  5. staff — employees
  6. drill — army training
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — a thing
  13. can — a tin
  14. object — an aim
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. object — to protest
  23. bulb — for light
  24. drill — a practice

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