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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. court — of law
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. spring — the season
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lean — thin
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. can — a tin
  13. cell — a phone
  14. court — for sport
  15. lean — to bend
  16. can — to be able to
  17. race — a contest
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. race — humankind
  22. court — of a king
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. race — the arms race

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