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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · bowl · can · bulb · pop · saw · lash · content

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spell — letters
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. spell — a short time
  5. can — a tin
  6. pop — soda
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pop — music
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — magic
  20. can — a tin
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. saw — the tool
  24. can — to be able to

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