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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 help me carry this box?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. track — to keep track
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lean — thin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. track — a path
  17. deal — to handle
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lean — to bend
  22. track — a song
  23. coach — a trainer
  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