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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cell — in biology
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. can — to be able to
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bass — the fish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. can — a tin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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