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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spell — magic
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — thin
  5. object — to protest
  6. can — a tin
  7. spell — a short time
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. object — an aim
  10. bulb — for light
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. spell — letters
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. object — a thing

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