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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. current — of water
  3. squash — to crush
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chest — a box
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — happening now
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. current — electric
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. chest — of your body
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ball — a great time
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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