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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pit — a hole
  4. kick — in football
  5. face — to confront
  6. spell — magic
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pit — in a race
  11. sharp — clever
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. can — a tin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. bore — to drill
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. sharp — exactly

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