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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — employees
  4. clip — a video
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mine — for digging
  7. clip — to cut
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. staff — employees
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. clip — for paper
  24. degree — from a university

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