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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. row — a line
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pitch — completely
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. tear — to rip
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. tear — from crying
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. face — to point toward
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. face — to confront
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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