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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · bulb · drill · fork · kick · fall · current · field

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. drill — army training
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — happening now
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. last — finally
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — the season
  10. kick — in football
  11. drill — the tool
  12. last — to go on
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. field — farmland
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fork — in a road
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fall — to drop
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. last — final
  24. bulb — of a plant

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