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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — to point toward
  4. tube — a container
  5. kid — to tease
  6. drill — army training
  7. spell — letters
  8. can — a tin
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. face — part of the head
  11. roll — a list
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. can — to be able to
  14. chip — for betting
  15. roll — a cake
  16. face — to confront
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spell — a short time
  22. drill — the tool
  23. spell — magic
  24. drill — a practice

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