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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bank — for money
  3. kid — child
  4. race — the arms race
  5. row — a line
  6. mate — to breed
  7. race — a contest
  8. can — to be able to
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bank — of a river
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. content — the amount
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pass — a permit
  18. can — a tin
  19. bank — for money
  20. race — humankind
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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