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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wind — moving air
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — a gift
  5. snap — to click
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rock — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. can — a tin
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. craft — boats
  19. present — the time now
  20. wind — moving air
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fan — a supporter

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