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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: drill · perch · bulb · squash · stick · mug · dip · land

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. land — to come down
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. land — a country
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. land — ground
  13. drill — a practice
  14. perch — the fish
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. drill — the tool
  17. dip — to sink
  18. squash — to crush
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. drill — army training
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — to rob

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