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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: suit · bulb · cold · game · can · season · stick · arm

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. season — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cold — an illness
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. can — to be able to
  8. game — a match
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cold — not warm
  12. suit — clothes
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. season — of the year
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bulb — for light
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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