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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
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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: firm · bulb · wound · ground · drill · fall · can · wind

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fall — the season
  4. drill — army training
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bulb — for light
  7. can — a tin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — to be able to
  14. drill — a practice
  15. can — a tin
  16. firm — decided
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. firm — steady
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wind — moving air
  24. firm — a company

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