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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — wild animals
  4. can — a tin
  5. mug — to rob
  6. spell — a short time
  7. game — a match
  8. mug — a cup
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mug — a face
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spell — letters
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. spell — magic
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. temple — a place of worship

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