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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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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: cell · bulb · bass · fine · rush · mark · rest · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fine — high quality
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fine — all right
  18. bass — low music
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rest — a break
  24. mark — to pay attention

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