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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bulb — for light
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. fork — in a road
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. present — there
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. snap — to click
  22. present — the time now
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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