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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. last — final
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. can — a tin
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. last — finally
  15. wax — to grow
  16. plane — a tool
  17. last — to go on
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bore — gave birth

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