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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. last — to go on
  3. hand — help
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. tube — a container
  7. rock — music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wake — a trail
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bound — tied together
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. hand — in cards
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stem — to come from
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bound — certain
  24. hand — part of the body

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