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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. track — a song
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fall — to drop
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spring — a coil
  12. track — a path
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. squash — the sport
  15. spring — of water
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. spring — the season
  18. fall — the season

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