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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rash — a series
  3. last — finally
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. last — final
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. can — a tin
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bulb — for light
  18. last — to go on
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. hide — animal skin

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