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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. content — the amount
  9. bulb — for light
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — a tin
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mate — a partner
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mate — to breed
  19. content — happy
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bowl — a football final

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