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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: perch · toast · present · mug · drill · bulb · tear · hand

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bulb — for light
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. present — the time now
  5. hand — help
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. hand — in cards
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mug — a cup
  11. toast — bread
  12. present — a gift
  13. drill — the tool
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. perch — the fish
  16. present — there
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. drill — army training
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. drill — a practice
  24. tear — from crying

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