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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. court — of a king
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — for sport
  8. kid — to tease
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. court — of law
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lean — thin
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. dip — to sink
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wind — to turn a key

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