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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: pass · mug · bulb · drill · land · ruler · bat · lie

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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. pass — to spend time
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mug — a face
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. land — a country
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. land — ground
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. land — to come down
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bat — the animal

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