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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 124 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lean — thin
  7. pass — a permit
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a dance
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hand — help
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kid — child

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