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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bulb — for light
  3. last — to go on
  4. ball — a great time
  5. file — a document
  6. last — final
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bulb — for light
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. can — a tin
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. can — to be able to
  16. ball — a dance
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. season — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. season — of the year
  21. file — a tool
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. last — finally
  24. dip — a sauce

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