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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. suit — in cards
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tear — from crying
  8. can — a tin
  9. kick — in football
  10. suit — clothes
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ball — a great time
  13. spell — magic
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a dance
  16. suit — to fit
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. tear — to rip
  24. spell — letters

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