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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bound — tied together
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bound — certain
  8. drill — army training
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bulb — for light
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. foot — a measure
  14. can — a tin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wind — moving air

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