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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spell — letters
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mark — a grade
  8. can — a tin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mark — a trace
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. spell — a short time
  17. roll — a list
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. can — to be able to
  21. roll — a cake
  22. spell — magic
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. arm — part of the body

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