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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.

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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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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: snap · bulb · row · spell · chair · drill · rock · stick

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. drill — the tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. row — a line
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — a short time
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. drill — army training
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — music
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. snap — to click
  22. spell — letters
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chair — to sit on

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