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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — to bend
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wound — an injury
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — a song
  10. can — a tin
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — a path
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lean — thin
  22. tube — a container
  23. track — to keep track
  24. tube — in a tire

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