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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. can — a tin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bulb — for light
  6. can — to be able to
  7. file — a tool
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rush — hurry
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. file — a document
  18. present — a gift
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a line of people
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bulb — of a plant

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