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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lean — to bend
  4. prune — to trim
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. tube — a container
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mate — to breed
  11. snap — to click
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mate — a partner
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mate — a friend
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. tube — the underground
  21. shower — to wash
  22. can — a tin
  23. shower — rain
  24. lean — thin

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