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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. date — the fruit
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fall — to drop
  8. can — a tin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fall — to drop
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spring — of water
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — a coil
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. snap — to click
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — the season
  23. spring — the season
  24. date — on the calendar

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