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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — help
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hand — in cards
  6. can — a tin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — to keep track
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. track — a song
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. track — a path
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. season — to add flavour

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