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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: bulb · spell · can · object · shower · kid · hand · nail

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. can — a tin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. spell — magic
  6. shower — rain
  7. object — an aim
  8. kid — to tease
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. shower — to wash
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. spell — letters
  19. bulb — for light
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kid — child
  24. can — a tin

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