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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bulb — for light
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cold — an illness
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hand — in cards
  10. root — of a word
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bear — the animal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. root — the cause
  18. can — a tin
  19. suit — to fit
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cold — not warm

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