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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. spell — magic
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bulb — for light
  6. drill — army training
  7. swing — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. clip — for paper
  12. row — a line
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. clip — to cut
  17. swing — to play on
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. can — to be able to
  21. row — to paddle
  22. clip — a video
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — the tool

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