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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bulb — for light
  3. season — in sport
  4. chest — of your body
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. tear — from crying
  10. game — wild animals
  11. tear — to rip
  12. chest — a box
  13. season — of the year
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. can — to be able to
  20. plane — a tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. game — a match
  24. tear — from crying

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