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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: drill · mate · leaves · suit · bulb · sharp · file · mug

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mate — a friend
  5. sharp — clever
  6. suit — in cards
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mug — a face
  10. drill — the tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bulb — for light
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. file — a document
  16. mug — to rob
  17. suit — to fit
  18. file — a tool
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mug — a cup
  22. file — a line of people
  23. drill — army training
  24. bulb — of a plant

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