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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: bass · lie · mouse · drill · nail · bulb · club · chest

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lie — to recline
  11. club — for golf
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chest — of your body
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — a group
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chest — a box
  24. drill — army training

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