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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.

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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mine — for digging
  4. spell — letters
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. band — a music group
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. kick — in football
  13. spell — magic
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. band — a ring
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. 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