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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: pitcher · land · sharp · drill · pass · lean · cell · bulb

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — a practice
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lean — thin
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. sharp — clever
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. land — to come down
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — ground
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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