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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. file — a tool
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spell — magic
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fine — high quality
  11. toast — bread
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. file — a document
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. squash — the sport
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. spell — letters
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. spell — a short time
  22. file — a line of people
  23. fine — all right
  24. tube — the underground

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