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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. shower — to wash
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. shower — rain
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pound — for dogs

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