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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bulb — for light
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. shower — to wash
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kick — in football
  12. content — the amount
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chip — to eat
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bear — the animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. can — a tin
  24. wind — moving air

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