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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — happy
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — an injury
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — electric
  10. can — a tin
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. content — the amount
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mark — a trace
  16. current — happening now
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — a tin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mark — a grade
  21. current — of water
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. squash — the vegetable

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