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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rock — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. can — to be able to
  7. last — final
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. land — a country
  14. rock — a stone
  15. last — finally
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — help
  22. land — ground
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. land — to come down

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