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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. hand — help
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. last — to go on
  12. stand — to bear
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. last — final
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hand — in cards
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. hand — part of the body

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