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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — a short time
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spell — letters
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. spell — magic
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to click
  18. can — a tin
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rash — a series
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hide — animal skin

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