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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. can — a tin
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. present — a gift
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cap — of ice
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cap — a lid
  15. present — there
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. suit — to fit
  21. tube — a container
  22. present — the time now
  23. bore — to drill
  24. tube — in a tire

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