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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cap — a hat
  3. present — a gift
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. present — there
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. present — the time now
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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