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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. kid — child
  3. dip — to sink
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fine — all right
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stand — to bear
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bass — low music
  24. dip — a sauce

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