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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — a tin
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cold — an illness
  10. last — final
  11. ground — the earth
  12. scale — in music
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cold — not warm
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bulb — for light
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. last — finally
  24. snap — to click

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