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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bulb — for light
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — to handle
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. row — a line

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