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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. can — a tin
  5. date — the fruit
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cold — an illness
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. suit — clothes
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. game — a match
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. suit — in cards
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wax — to grow
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. suit — to fit

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