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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. shower — rain
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mark — a trace
  23. field — for sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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