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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — clever
  3. can — a tin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chest — a box
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fine — all right
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fine — high quality
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. toast — bread
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. chest — of your body

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