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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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tear — from crying
  6. suit — to fit
  7. race — the arms race
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. race — humankind
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. suit — in cards
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. race — a contest
  24. can — a tin

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