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

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. game — a match
  9. tear — from crying
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. tear — to rip
  12. season — in sport
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — of the year
  16. tear — from crying
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink

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