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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. rock — music
  6. craft — a skill
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wound — an injury
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. can — a tin
  23. craft — boats
  24. squash — the sport

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