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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mate — a partner
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mate — a friend
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — in music
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. can — to be able to
  19. shower — rain
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. can — a tin

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