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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. object — to protest
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. can — a tin
  7. mate — a partner
  8. object — a thing
  9. cap — of ice
  10. present — the time now
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cap — a lid
  13. craft — boats
  14. mate — to breed
  15. tube — a container
  16. cap — a hat
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. tube — the underground
  19. object — an aim
  20. present — there
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — a friend

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