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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bulb — for light
  5. last — finally
  6. fork — in a road
  7. last — final
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bat — the animal
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bulb — for light
  18. board — a committee
  19. last — to go on
  20. board — to get on
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. saw — the tool

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