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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — in sport
  19. kid — to tease
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. can — a tin
  23. deal — to handle
  24. season — of the year

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