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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: court · mug · leaves · file · drill · wake · foot · bulb

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. court — of law
  3. file — a tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a line of people
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. foot — a measure
  12. court — for sport
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. file — a document
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — of a king
  20. wake — a trail
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. foot — the bottom

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