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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rash — a series
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — in music
  13. can — to be able to
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rash — hasty
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. can — a tin
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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