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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mate — a partner
  4. can — a tin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tube — the underground
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mate — a friend
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pop — soda
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — music
  20. mate — to breed
  21. season — in sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. season — of the year

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