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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. can — a tin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. tear — from crying
  10. can — a tin
  11. suit — clothes
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ground — a position
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wake — a trail

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