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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
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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: fall · bulb · saw · pop · kick · can · key · mate

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fall — the season
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. key — in music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pop — soda
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. kick — in football
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — a partner
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  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