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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. spring — of water
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. craft — boats
  9. spring — a coil
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rule — government
  14. key — in music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. key — the most important part
  17. can — a tin
  18. spring — the season
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rule — a law
  24. calf — a young animal

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