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

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to click
  5. spell — letters
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. can — a tin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. spell — magic
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — part of the body

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