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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. prune — to trim
  6. drill — the tool
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lean — thin
  13. drill — army training
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. can — a tin
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — the time now
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. chip — to eat
  21. can — to be able to
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lean — to bend
  24. can — a tin

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