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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cold — an illness
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cold — not warm
  6. present — there
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tear — to rip
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — from crying
  13. present — a gift
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. present — the time now

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