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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. can — a tin
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — a law
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. can — to be able to
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rule — government
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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