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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. toast — bread
  9. shower — to wash
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. shower — rain
  13. stock — goods
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. march — music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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