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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. clip — a video
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. snap — to click
  12. face — to point toward
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. face — to confront
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. clip — to cut
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. face — part of the head
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bulb — for light

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