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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. can — a tin
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. can — to be able to
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — the fish
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mine — belonging to me

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