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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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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: can · pop · lash · hide · bulb · bat · chip · content

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pop — soda
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — the amount
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pop — music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — to visit
  24. content — happy

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