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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. field — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — a hole
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pit — in a race
  19. roll — a list
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wind — moving air
  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