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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. track — a path
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ball — a great time
  10. can — to be able to
  11. present — there
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bound — tied together
  16. can — a tin
  17. present — a gift
  18. ball — a dance
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. present — the time now
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bound — certain

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