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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. scale — in music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. spring — a coil
  8. squash — the sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spring — the season
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spring — of water
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. can — a tin
  22. chest — a box
  23. squash — to crush
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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