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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. kid — child
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. net — in sport
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. net — for catching
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. can — a tin
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. bulb — for light

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