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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. spring — the season
  6. ball — a great time
  7. can — a tin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. race — a contest
  13. wax — to grow
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. race — humankind
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. spring — of water
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ball — a round shape

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