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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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. pop — to visit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. capital — money
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. face — to confront
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pop — music
  13. capital — a city
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. can — a tin
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. face — part of the head
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pop — soda

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