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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. can — a tin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mate — a friend
  12. can — to be able to
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fall — to drop
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mate — to breed

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