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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. can — a tin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tear — from crying
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. date — the fruit
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bulb — for light
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bulb — for light
  16. present — a gift
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. present — the time now
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stand — to bear
  23. present — there
  24. chip — for betting

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