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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. can — a tin
  3. clip — for paper
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. can — to be able to
  8. clip — to cut
  9. can — a tin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. clip — a video
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — child
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fall — the season
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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