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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — a tin
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mine — for digging
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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