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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 116 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. file — a document
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. season — of the year
  10. spring — of water
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — a coil
  13. march — music
  14. file — a tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. season — in sport
  17. lie — to recline
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — the season
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — to be able to
  23. march — the month
  24. season — to add flavour

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