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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. squash — to crush
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — to be able to
  12. club — for golf
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — a container
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. club — a group
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — the sport
  24. sharp — clever

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