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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — the cause
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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