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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — a thing
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — to be able to
  5. object — an aim
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. object — to protest
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tube — a container
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. can — a tin
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ground — crushed
  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