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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: fall · rock · mouse · leaves · row · bulb · drill · game

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. row — a line
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fall — the season
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. game — a match
  20. rock — music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. game — wild animals
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mouse — the animal

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